This month, BEAM students found out where they will be attending high school. We are pleased to announce that, so far, 51% of our 8th graders will be attending Tier One high schools and 56% will be attending either Tier One or Tier Two high schools. At this point, 67% will be attending "trusted" schools, which meet BEAM's minimum standards for college preparation. We say "at this point" because every year a few students are under-matched in the process. We are currently working with students who were not admitted to high schools that meet our standards to make sure that they can navigate the appeals process and find a good fit for the next four years.

BEAM students were admitted to:

Bard High School Early College (15)

The Beacon School (4)

Brooklyn Latin (4)

Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (4)

Manhattan/Hunter Science High School (4)

Brooklyn Tech (3)

The Laboratory School for Finance and Technology (3)

NEST+m (3)

University Heights High School (3)

Benjamin Banneker Academy (2)

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (2)

Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science (2)

Millennium Brooklyn High School (2)

NYC Museum School (2)

Baccalaureate School for Global Education

Bronx Science

Midwood High School

Millennium High School

NYC iSchool

NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies

Stuyvesant

Central Park East High School

East Side Community School

Bedford Academy

Collegiate Institute For Math And Science

High School for Health Professions and Human Services

Urban Assembly NY Harbor School

Aamirah, Brooklyn Tech

Ahmed, University Heights

Kathy, Brooklyn Latin

Ethan, Bard High School Early College

“At first I was overwhelmed and confused but BEAM gave me good advice and I ended up getting into my first choice school!”

— Ethan, 8th Grade

These 79 8th graders join 300+ BEAM students already in high school. We're so proud of you all!

This month, BEAM students found out where they will be attending high school. We are pleased to announce that, so far, 40% of our 8th graders have been admitted to highly selective high schools and 62% have been admitted to selective high schools. At this point, 89% will be attending "trusted" schools, which meet BEAM's minimum standards for college preparation. We say "at this point" because every year a few students are undermatched in the process. We are currently working with students who were not admitted to high schools that meet our standards to make sure that they can navigate the appeals process and find a good fit for the next four years.

BEAM students were admitted to:

Bard High School Early College (15)

Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (15)

Stuyvesant (3)

Bronx Science (3)

Brooklyn Tech (3)

The Beacon School (3)

Collegiate Institute For Math And Science (3)

Brooklyn Latin (2)

NEST+m (2)

Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences (2)

Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) (2)

Loomis Chaffee

Poly Prep

High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College

High School of American Studies at Lehman College

Manhattan/Hunter Science High School

Midwood High School

Millennium High School

Millennium Brooklyn High School

Manhattan Village Academy

Medgar Evers College Preparatory School

University Heights High School

Academy for Software Engineering

Bronx Academy for Software Engineering

Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science

Urban Assembly Maker Academy

These 82 8th graders join 300+ BEAM students already in high school. We're so proud of you all!

Fatimatou attended BEAM 7 in the summer of 2011, as part of BEAM's very first cohort. Six years later she's a sophomore at Manhattan College with a Dean's scholarship, planning on attending medical school. On Saturday, December 2, she came to speak to BEAM's current 9th and 10th grade students about her experience in high school and college.

Fatimatou, Diamond, and Ilearys at BEAM in the summer of 2011

Fatimatou attended the Bronx Academy of Health Careers for high school, and says that it did not prepare her for college. "Since I had taken Algebra I before high school, I started with geometry. But once I finished Algebra II, I was taking the same math class every year because they didn't have anything more."

Since her high school offered limited classes, Fatimatou took advantage of every extra-curricular she could, including College Now and a summer program in math at Texas State University.

Starting college was a difficult transition, even with her extracurricular work. "In high school, I would start assignments the day they were due, or the day before, and get a good grade. In college, that doesn't work." Her advice? "Write down your assignments in a calendar, and give yourself early deadlines. Always know something about the topic before you go to class, even if that's from watching a YouTube video. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Go to your professor's office hours."

Fatimatou speaking to BEAM's students on Dec. 2, 2017

BEAM's high school students had questions about balancing work and a social life, paying for school, and college admissions. Fatimatou's perspective was extremely helpful, because of all the challenges she faced. BEAM hopes the Saturday program helps our current 9th and 10th grade students have an even smoother transition to college!

On Saturday, October 21st, 21 BEAM 9th and 10th grade students visited Columbia University. Dr. Clark Hung, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia, met the students in the undergraduate biomedical engineering lab, and gave a half hour presentation on diabetes. He discussed both the causes of diabetes, as well as some current treatments and areas of research.

After the the talk, the students had the chance to do some hands-on work. They made alginate beads by dropping alginate solution into calcium choloride solutions. They tested different sizes of needles to make different sized beads. These beads could be used to encapsulate cells for diabetes treatment.

Everyone had fun making lots of multicolored beads.

BEAM would like to thank the Hung Lab and Columbia's engineering outreach for organizing an amazing experience.

Last weekend, thousands of eighth graders lined up outside of Brooklyn Technical High School to attend the New York City High School Fair. Students and parents had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the high school admissions process and meet with representatives from high schools all over the city in hopes of finding the right ones to apply to.

It is no secret that the NYC high school admissions process is a maze! The application process has many obstacles to get through, some of which include: taking a test, writing an essay, submitting a portfolio, attending an open house and more - just to be considered! Without navigating through these obstacles, the chances of getting in to a great-fit high school are real hard. For BEAM students, a great-ft school is one that offers advanced coursework such as AP Physics and AP Calculus, the opportunity to take college courses, a supportive and nurturing environment and the opportunity for college guidance and readiness.

Here are some common "big-picture" errors students make on their high school application (Round 1 form):

Not doing enough research. It's important that students do their research on each school they are interested in. Many high ranking schools require tests (like the specialized high schools), essays (like Manhattan/Hunter Science HS), portfolios (like Columbia Secondary HS), or a mixture of these (Bard High School/Early College, BHSEC). Do your research early so that you can be ahead of the game and have a plan to get all these things done on time. Go on school's websites, visit insideschools.org, or call the school directly.

Be sure to know which schools are "limited unscreen." Limited unscreen schools are schools that only look at your attendance at an open house. They are a good opportunity to get a fresh start if your transcript is rocky. Open house dates are available online, usually on a school's website. Sometimes you might have to call a school directly and get information that way. Also, attending open houses allow you the opportunity to see if you can actually envision yourself in the school for four years.

Look at the requirements of "screened" schools. A screened school is one that looks at your transcript - this includes: 7th grade grades, state test scores and attendance and punctuality. You want to make sure that you are applying to schools that you have a good chance of getting in to. When looking at schools that you are interested in, make sure grade ranges and state test scores match your transcript. If you have too many absences but have a legitimate reason (ie: medical, or family issues) don't hesitate to write the school a letter. Schools understand that life happens, and being honest and up front is the right thing to do.

Rank schools in the order YOU want to go to them. Schools cannot see how you rank them. Some schools may tell you that you have to rank them #1 in order to be accepted - that is false information! Seriously, rank the schools in the order you want. Ultimately, you will be spending four years there.

Know what a good schools has to offer YOU. Make sure the schools you are looking for have what you need in order to be successful. For most BEAM students this means: AP Calculus and AP sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics). For others it might be a great Lacrosse or Basketball team or the opportunity to join a Robotics or Debate club. Remember that you will spend almost half of your day in this school - make sure the school has things that you will benefit from and enjoy.

Here are some small logistical things to watch out for:

Double and triple check your Round 1 form! Make sure codes and school names match. If they don't, your guidance counselor might not catch it and you may end up being accepted in to the wrong school.

Use all 12 spaces. Make sure you completely fill out your Round 1 form. It is better to get in to a Round 1 school (even LOW on your list) than to have no school and be stuck in Round 2.

Remember that some schools may count twice. For example, the Manhattan and Queens campuses of BHSEC or the multiple programs at Midwood. If you really want to go to these schools, use two spaces on your Round 1 form to put both programs down. Not only do you take up two spaces on your form, but you increase your chances of being admitted. Some of our alumni have even had luck transferring from programs in their first or second year in the school.

Hear what our experts have to say about their high school admissions process!

“BEAM showed me my options. They provided me with personalized school directories which led me to search for best-fit schools, on my own.” 

— Iroha, 10th grader, Manhattan Center for Science and Math

I went to the Citywide High School Fair with BEAM. They taught me how to shake hands and introduce myself. While there, I talked with the Assistant Principal of the Academy for Software Engineering (AFSE). I really liked her and the school, so I went to an Open House to learn more. I ended up ranking it first and got in.

It's time for the BEAM quarterly newsletter! In this Winter 2017 issue, learn about how we help students navigate high school admissions, our plans for expansion, available jobs at BEAM, and an update on admissions for

This month, BEAM students found out where they will be attending high school. We are pleased to announce that, so far, 42% of our 8th graders have been admitted to highly selective high schools and 61% have been admitted to selective high schools. At this point, 79% will be attending "trusted" schools, which meet BEAM's minimum standards for college preparation. We say "at this point" because every year a few students are undermatched in the process. We are currently working with students who were not admitted to high schools that meet our standards to make sure that they can navigate the appeals process and find a good fit for the next four years.

BEAM will have students attending:*

Bard High School Early College (8)

Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (6)

Brooklyn Technical High School (4)

Stuyvesant (3)

University Heights High School (3)

Bronx High School for Science (2)

The Beacon School (2)

Midwood High School (2)

Pace High School (2)

A. Philip Randolph (2)

The Cate School

NEST+m

Staten Island Tech

Manhattan/Hunter Science High School

Baccalaureate School of Global Education

LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts

Medgar Evers College Preparatory School

Academy for Software Engineering

Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics

Urban Assembly Maker Academy

*This doesn’t count everyone with great results to share! Four students are still deciding between great options, like one student deciding between Bronx Science and Bard High School Early College.

Congratulations are also in order to two 9th graders who are transferring to even stronger high schools. In the fall, Chuka will be attending Brooklyn Tech and Ezelle will be attending High School of Math, Science, and Engineering at City College.

It's that time again! Every quarter, we recap recent news and upcoming events for our followers. The most recent newsletter featured information about how 8th grade BEAM students apply to high school, an invitation to our upcoming trivia night, our inaugural "what we're reading section", and a recap of our recent essay writing workshop (because the growth mindset applies to writing just as much as it does to math!).

To read the full newsletter, click here. Sign up for future BEAM announcements at the bottom of this page.

This Saturday, 45 8th graders and their families joined BEAM to hear about high schools, how to apply, and also to hear the perspectives of BEAM students now in high school. At the end of the event, students went home with personalized recommendations for which high schools to apply to as well as a calendar of next steps.

Missed the event? Here's some information and advice from our high school BEAM students.

BEAM suggested that I apply to NEST+m because I was studying for the SHSAT and the exams are similar. I ended up not getting into any specialized schools, but I did get into NEST+m. I have just finished two weeks there and I like it. Everyone is friendly. You can go up to an 11th grader and ask a question and they will help you.

— Adrianne, 9th grade, NEST+m

I first studied for the SHSAT during my summer at BEAM. I ended up being accepted into Bronx Science and Bard High School Early College and chose Bronx Science. There was some culture shock when I first arrived, but it’s absolutely the right school for me. 

— Andy, 11th grade, Bronx Science

BEAM exposed me to high schools I had never heard of. I went to visit Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) with BEAM. In the end, I got into both Brooklyn Tech and BHSEC. BEAM helped me make a decision and I went with BHSEC, which is the best choice I ever made.

— Lennin, 10th grade, BHSEC

I went to the Citywide High School Fair with BEAM. They taught me how to shake hands and introduce myself. While there, I talked with the Assistant Principal of the Academy for Software Engineering (AFSE). I really liked her and the school, so I went to an Open House to learn more. I ended up ranking it first and got in. I like the school because of its community environment.